The bold push for a satellite city in Melbourne’s west

There’s another push to create a satellite city to the west of Melbourne as the population in Werribee and Wyndham booms.

The population in the area has already overtaken Geelong and is expected to exceed Canberra’s population in coming decades.

Chair of the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance, Professor Peter Dawkins, says a satellite city in Werribee would be “very strategic”, but it’ll need government support.

“Thankfully, government has started investing in improved services in the region but we just need to accelerate that,” he told Ross and Russel.

“I think all the settings are right. It will need a kick along from government — federal and state — and then it will need industry, university, hospital and so on to all collect around this vision for the future.”

Professor Dawkins says bringing jobs to the area is critical.

“We need jobs closer to the people and that’s the fundamental issue,” he said.

“At the moment … 60 per cent of people from Wyndham commute out of the region for work and this really is bad for life satisfaction. It makes it a sort of life where you spend far too much time on rail and road.”

The plan is the second major push for a redevelopment in Werribee. A private consortium’s plan for a $31 billion education city in the area was rejected by the state government early last year.

Press PLAY below to hear more about the push to create a satellite city in Werribee